As far as I can tell, God’s favorite project is the human race. I’m sure there are plenty of other things in the universe that interest him, but according to the testimonies of people who had an encounter with God, he has a personal investment in what happens on earth. His project is that trying to save the human race from its own stupidity and meanness.

The murder of Benazir Bhutto must grieve God deeply. First, because he cares for her as he does for all individuals. But more than that, she represented hope for her country, for the Muslim world, and maybe for the whole human race.

She might have brought peace and prosperity to her own country. She might have been able to reconcile feuding factions. She might have shown other middle eastern cultures what Islam with a human face might look like, a moderate form of Islam compatible with the modern world, a spiritual force for peace.

Benazir Bhutto’s murder cannot be God‘s will, because he has expressly presented his opinion on the topic of murder: he is against it.

Covenant is the primary term used in the Bible to describe God’s relationship with humans. The covenant is God’s pledge of faithfulness to his creation; and it is expressed in two forms. The first is the universal covenant God made with all life. It is his pledge to preserve life on the earth and his demand of humans to respect life. All people, in fact all life forms, are bound to God by this covenant, whether they recognize it or not.

The second form the covenant takes is a personal relationship. This is very important, and I will have more to say about it later. But right now, I want to stress God’s concern for all people regardless of religion or nationality. God desires freedom, opportunity, human rights, the opportunity to thrive for all people. For this reason, the murder of Benazir Bhutto was a setback for God.